Beer Birthday: Ray Daniels

Today is the 59th birthday of Ray Daniels. Ray is the former director of Craft Beer Marketing for the Brewers Association and today runs the Cicerone program, which he founded, to certify beer professionals, similar to sommeliers in the wine industry. He also founded the Real Ale Festival that used to take place annually in Chicago. And he’s one of my favorite people in the beer industry. Join me in wishing Ray a very happy birthday.

Julie Johson, from All About Beer, with Ray at Lagunitas during the Journalism Retreat when CBC was in San Francisco a few years ago.

On the floor at GABF with Bob Pease, from the Brewers Association, Mark Dorber, publican extraordinaire, and John Mallet, from Bell’s Brewery.

It’s hard not to love his Cicerone press photo.

Ray with his former assistant Sarah Huska at the Cicerone booth at CBC in Chicago five years ago.

Homebrewing, cask-conditioned ale, beer styles, and, now with his Cicerone program, serving beer and understanding its flavors. Ray is, indeed, one of the great educators in the beer world. Happy birthday!